We’re marking the end of the Paris Paralympics 2024, and there is a lot to discuss and talk about.

What a spectacular event it was for India and Indian Athletes.

Just to remind you of our success in this Paralympics and to appreciate the effort of our contingent, we’ve decided to relive the journey through this blog.

So, let’s begin the discussion with a small brief about Paris Paralympics 2024.

A Brief About Paris Paralympics 2024

The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games were a big event held from August 28 to September 8, 2024, right after the Olympics in the same city. Around 4,400 athletes from 168 countries came to compete. 

This year, there were more women athletes than ever before, with 1,983 women taking part and many events just for them. Athletes played in 22 sports, like para-athletics, para-swimming, and team sports such as wheelchair basketball and rugby. There were also special Paralympic sports like goalball and boccia, which aren't in the Olympics.

The Opening Ceremony happened on August 29, 2024, at the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde, with beautiful views of Paris. Athletes from different countries carried their flags into the ceremony. For India, the flagbearers were Sumit Antil and Bhagyashri Jadhav. The Refugee Paralympic Team also joined, and athletes from Russia and Belarus participated under special rules because of political issues.

The Paris 2024 Paralympics carried on the tradition that started after World War II, showing how athletes with physical, visual, or intellectual disabilities compete with great spirits. Paris also worked hard to make the city more accessible for everyone during the Games.

It is surely a discussable thing, how it all started, so, let’s find out the history of the Paralympics.

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The History of Paralympic Sports

Paralympic sports have a long and important history. They show how athletes with disabilities have worked hard and stayed determined. It all started after World War II. Sir Ludwig Guttmann, a German doctor, began organizing sports events for veterans who were injured in the war. His work led to the first Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948, which many consider the start of the Paralympic Games.

In 1960, the first official Paralympic Games happened in Rome, right after the Summer Olympics. This was a big moment, making the Paralympics a major international event. At these Games, 400 athletes from 23 countries competed in 8 different sports.

Since then, the Paralympics have grown a lot. They now include athletes with many types of disabilities and have become much bigger and more important. In 1988, the Paralympics were held in Seoul, South Korea, for the first time at the same time as the Olympic Games. This was a big step in becoming a key part of the global sports world.

The 1992 Barcelona Games were very important because they combined summer and winter sports under the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), which started in 1989. Today, the Paralympic Games are known for including many athletes from around the world and offering a wide range of sports. These Games continue to inspire people and change how we see athletes with disabilities.

Why Paris Paralympics is So special for India?

India's participation in the Paris 2024 Paralympics was a huge moment for the country. India won a record-breaking 29 medals—seven gold, nine silver, and 13 bronze. This was India's best performance ever at the Paralympics, and the country finished in 18th place on the medal table. This shows that India is becoming a strong player in para-sports around the world.

The Paris Games were exciting for India, with athletes showing great determination and skill in many events. Even though Pooja Ojha just missed making it to the women’s kayak 200m final, the overall performance was amazing.

One of the most memorable moments was Navdeep Singh’s win in the men's javelin throw F41. He initially won silver with a throw of 47.32m, but later his medal was changed to gold after Iran’s Beit Sadegh was disqualified. This win was especially sweet for Navdeep since he missed out on a medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Track-and-field events were a major success for India, bringing in 17 medals. Preethi Pal made history by becoming the first Indian woman to win medals in athletics, getting bronze in both the 100m and 200m sprints. Sumit Antil also did great by winning gold in the men’s javelin throw F64 and setting new world records.

In shooting, Avani Lekhara defended her Tokyo 2020 title and won gold in the women’s 10m air rifle standing SH1. In para-badminton, Thulasimathi Murugesan made history as the first Indian woman to win a medal, earning silver in women’s singles SU5. Indian women’s para-shuttlers also won three more medals, marking their first-ever Paralympic podium finishes.

Archery was another area of success, with Harvinder Singh becoming the first Indian Paralympic gold medalist in archery. The young athlete Sheetal Devi, only 17 years old, won bronze in the mixed team compound open event, making her the youngest Indian Paralympic medalist.

India’s great performance in Paris was the result of years of hard work and dedication. It shows a bright future for Indian para-sports. These achievements set a high standard and are expected to inspire even greater success in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

India's outstanding performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympics highlights the nation's growing strength in para-sports. As the country celebrates this success, it will surely inspire a new generation of athletes to aim high.

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India's Medalists at the Paris Paralympics 2024

The Paris Paralympics 2024 showed how amazing and determined Indian athletes are. They won many medals, and here is a list of who won and in which events:

Gold Medals:

• Avani Lekhara - Shooting, Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1
• Nitesh Kumar - Badminton, Men's Singles SL3
• Sumit Antil - Athletics, Javelin Throw F64
• Harvinder Singh - Archery, Men's Individual Recurve Open
• Dharambir - Athletics, Men's Club Throw F51
• Praveen Kumar - Athletics, Men's High Jump T64
• Navdeep Singh - Athletics, Men's Javelin Throw F41

Silver Medals:

• Manish Narwal - Shooting, Men's 10m Air Pistol SH1
• Nishad Kumar - Athletics, Men's High Jump T47
• Yogesh Kathuniya - Athletics, Men's Discus Throw F56
• Thulasimathi Murugesan - Badminton, Women's Singles SU5
• Suhas Yathiraj - Badminton, Men's Singles SL4
• Sharad Kumar - Athletics, Men's High Jump T63
• Ajeet Singh - Athletics, Men's Javelin Throw F46
• Sachin Khilari - Athletics, Men's Shot Put F46
• Parnav Soorma - Athletics, Men's Club Throw F51

Bronze Medals:

• Mona Agarwal - Shooting, Women's 10m Air Rifle Standing SH1
• Preethi Pal - Athletics, Women's 100m T35
• Rubina Francis - Shooting, Women's 10m Air Pistol SH1
• Preethi Pal - Athletics, Women's 200m T35
• Nithya Sre Sivan - Badminton, Women's Singles SH6
• Deepthi Jeevanji - Athletics, Women's 400m T20
• Mariyappan Thangavelu - Athletics, Men's High Jump T63
• Sundar Singh Gurjar - Athletics, Men's Javelin Throw F46
• Hokato Hotozhe Sema - Athletics, Men's Shot Put F57
• Simran - Athletics, Women's 200m T12
• Kapil Parmar - Judo, Men's -60kg J1
• Rakesh Kumar / Sheetal Devi - Archery, Mixed Team Compound Open

These athletes have demonstrated extraordinary skill and perseverance, representing India with pride.

Concluding Remarks

Hope, reading this blog helped you re-live those spectacular moments when Indian athletes shine on the podium. 

We’d love to congratulate each and every individual who took part in the Paris Paralympics whether the support team, coaches, or guides.

We’d also like to appreciate the efforts of our athletes, and their perseverance to do something for India.

We hope in the next Paralympics, we’ll break these records again, and set new records.

In the end, we believe everyone has the right to play, we’ve to encourage, and help our athletes, so that one day, we’ll finish the Olympics or Paralympics in the first place.